Let me start by saying this story has a happy ending. But it begins in a very stressful way.The school year began like any other. I was blessed with an amazing group of sophomores to teach this year. They are kind, funny, and hard-working students. Unfortunately, they also qualify as the most ...
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Word of the Week – A Year-Long Vocabulary Strategy
I'll admit it, I'm guilty of the cardinal sin of English teachers.
I have given out a list of vocabulary words, told students to define the words, and given out a quiz the following week. Most English teachers have. It's not because we're trying to be lazy, I'm sure. It's just that between ...
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Just Caught You Reading: A Simple and Engaging Student Assignment
AMENDMENT: I wrote this blog post 8 years ago. In fact, it was the first blog post I wrote for Lit & More! The purposes behind this assignment have changed, since I no longer assign summer reading. But I've decided not to change the writing about its intentions. Instead, I'll share how I use it ...
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Research Source Sheet – Helping students record research quickly and ethically
As a high school English teacher, I spend a lot of time grading essays. A lot. An eternity, really... But the hardest papers to grade, and to teach, are definitely research papers. And in 10th grade, proper research is not considered simply task, but more of a life skill.
Over the years I've seen ...
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